Fire in private hospital in eastern India kills 14

BHUBANESHWAR Oct 17 At least 14 people died
when fire broke out at a private hospital in eastern India on
Monday, officials said.

The fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit at
the dialysis unit of the SUM hospital in Bhubaneswar, the
capital of Odisha state, and then subsequently spread to other
units, hospital deputy superintendent Basant Kumar Pati said.

Fire tenders were deployed at the hospital while ambulances
were moving patients to other hospitals, officials said. Some
patients were in critical condition.

"We are trying our best to save lives," said Arti Ahuja,
principal secretary of Odisha's health and family welfare
department, who confirmed the death toll at 14.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the tragedy was
"mind-numbing" and directed the federal health minister to
facilitate transfer of those injured to All India Institute of
Medical Sciences, a group of government hospitals.
(Reporting by Jatindra Dash in Bhubaneshwar; Writing by Aditya
Kalra)

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